Episodes

Stephanie Slater launches a new monthly series on honey shows, sharing how to get started, why they matter, and how competitions like the Black Jar Contest help beekeepers improve their craft.

Chip Taylor and Gard Otis return to discuss Africanized honey bee swarming, sharing research, field observations, and how these bees reproduce and spread differently from European colonies.

Stephanie Slater introduces her experience with honey shows and judging, previewing a new series on evaluating honey and participating in beekeeping competitions.

Spotted lanternfly honey is gaining attention across the beekeeping world. In this episode, Jeff and Becky talk with Dr. Robyn Underwood and Dr. Ferhat Ozturk about what this honey really is, how it’s produced, and what it means for beekeepers navigating invasive species.

Dr. Dewey Caron explains the biology of Varroa mites, how they reproduce inside brood cells, and why understanding their life cycle is essential for protecting honey bee colonies.

Dr. Jamie Ellis discusses honey bee health research, practical beekeeping insights, and how current science helps beekeepers make better management decisions in the apiary.

Tara Chapman returns to discuss her book For the Bees, her biology-first approach to teaching beekeeping, and how she built a successful bee business starting with just two hives in Austin, Texas.

In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Priyadarshini “Priya” Basu of Washington State University to discuss two major topics shaping the future of beekeeping: the upcoming COLOSS North America meeting and the evolving science of honey bee nutrition. COLOSS (Prevention of Colony Losses) is an international nonprofit network of more than 2,000 honey bee researchers across 113 countries. For the first time, a multi–task force North American meeting will be held June 6–12 at Washington State Universit...

Jeff and Becky introduce a live business panel from the 2026 Midwest Honey Bee Expo. Experienced beekeepers discuss profitability, overwintering losses, labor, and the financial realities of running a sustainable beekeeping operation.

Dewey Caron introduces colony necropsy, showing how hive debris can diagnose colony health, seasonal progress, and unseen stress—giving beekeepers a simple, low-disturbance management tool.

What can the hive floor reveal about colony health? Scottish beekeeper Ray Baxter explains how studying hive debris—from pollen and wax to Varroa fragments, aka bottom-up beekeeping—can guide better management decisions and deepen understanding of honey bee biology.

A revisited beginner classic on how to get started in beekeeping, covering mentors, hive location, expectations, and first-year success.

Returning guests Dr. Chip Taylor and Dr. Gard Otis revisit queen mating, DCAs, and Africanized honey bees—exploring what we know, what we still don’t, and how decades of research have reshaped long-held assumptions.

Jeff and Becky answer listener questions on mentorship, overwintering, feeding bees, hive tools, monitoring systems, and common beekeeping myths in this wide-ranging Q&A episode.

How do honey bees survive winter — and what role does clustering really play? In this first episode of Bee Science with Dewey, Dr. Dewey Caron explains the biology behind winter clustering and what it means for colony survival.

What really happens inside a hive during extreme winter conditions? Etienne Tardif joins the podcast to share cold-climate insights on feeding, insulation, brood timing, and how data can reveal what bees need to survive winter.

Join us for a special series of episodes recorded live from the floor of the North American Honey Bee Expo in Louisville, KY, January 8–10, 2026. Jeff and Becky bring you the latest beekeeping insights, trends, and innovations directly from one of the biggest beekeeping events of the year. Tune in as we chat with industry leaders, researchers, and beekeepers from across the country. Whether you’re attending in person or catching up from home, these episodes will keep you connected to the hive bu...

Join us on the floor at NAHBE 2026 for Day 2 as we capture conversations, reflections, and the energy of one of North America’s premier beekeeping events.

Day One of the North American Honey Bee Expo!

What does a world-renowned honey bee researcher actually do in his own bee yard? Jeff Pettis returns to share insights on bee health, Tropilaelaps research, and the practical choices guiding his day-to-day beekeeping.

A thoughtful end-of-year conversation with Jeff Ott, Becky Masterman, and David Peck reflecting on the challenges and lessons of beekeeping in 2025—from varroa and viruses to smarter management and reasons for optimism heading into 2026.

In this Holiday Special episode of Beekeeping Today Podcast, Jeff Ott, Becky Masterman, and Jim Tew share a reflective conversation on bees, beekeeping, and the quieter rhythms of winter during Christmas week.The discussion explores what honey bees are doing inside winter clusters, how beekeepers can read subtle signs of life without opening hives, and why snow can sometimes reveal more than inspections. The hosts also reflect on winter losses, beekeeper intuition, and the balance between traditional observation and modern monitoring tools.As the year comes to a close, the conversation turns toward gratitude, resilience, and the promise bees represent — offering a thoughtful reminder of why beekeeping continues to inspire hope even in the coldest weeks of the season.

In this December Beekeeping Today Short, Dr. Dewey Caron explores what hive debris analysis can tell us about colony health and seasonal activity. From mite levels to cluster size, pollen use, pests, and even signs of queen events, Dewey walks listeners through how bottom-board “trash” provides surprising insights. He also highlights new research and practical examples from beekeepers applying debris-reading in the field. A science-rich, practical episode that previews Dewey’s upcoming monthly series, Bee Science with Dr. Dewey Caron.

AJ and Chryssa Gardner share how a backyard garden turned into a thriving sideline beekeeping operation built on stewardship, nutrition, and respect for the bees. This thoughtful conversation explores why putting bees first leads to healthier colonies—and extraordinary honey.